the US Federal Aviation Administration,
which advised the US Government to drop
its "travel advisory". Indeed, the Athens
airport authorities are now in regular contact
with the FAA, because, as deputy airport
commander Nick Kavadas says: "US airlines
are the primary target for terrorism in this
pan of the world, so we work very closely
with the FAA".
Athens Airport, which was previously
known as Hellinikon, was opened in 1948,
and is situated on a narrow strip of land
between a range of hills and the sea, approx
imately four miles south of the city centre. It
includes a military base, a West Terminal,
which is used solely by Olympic Airways,
and a newer (1969) East Terminal, which is
used by all the other carriers, and which
houses the airport management and airline
offices. Its perimeter fence is approximately
7km long, and at one point runs very close to
adjoining houses. In the April 1985 incident
involving the Royal Jordanian 727, a terrorist
scaled the fence between the thresholds of
runways 33 left and right before firing the
shoulder-mounted missile at the aircraft.
One of the first projects undertaken after
Iata's 1985 visit was the rebuilding of the
perimeter fence to Icao standards, with
elevated guard posts overlooking the apron at
regular intervals, and manned by armed
police officers 24hr a day. Airport security
supervisor John Fotopoulos says: "We are
very serious and very concerned about the
dangers of terrorist actions against civil
aviation and aircraft generally, and we try all
the necessary measures to protect them".
Outside the terminal buildings, armoured
cars equipped with heavy machine guns
constantly patrol the access roads and apron,
and one stands on the pavement outside the
main door to the East Terminal departure
area. Inside, groups of armed police officers
monitor the concourse and departure
lounge, and they are augmented by plain-
clothed officers mingling with the
passengers. There are also closed-circuit
television cameras. Fotopoulos says that
there are up to 1,000 officers assigned to
airport security, working in shifts, and they
are supported by a "special security force"
which can be mobilised in emergencies.
At the entrance to the airport management
and airline offices, visitors pass through an
electronic screening process, and hand
luggage is x-rayed. Security officer
Emmanoyel Moschoulis says: "We have
established these machines to protect the
offices of the airlines and the airport manage
ment and other public services."
In addition to standard passenger screen
ing at the entrance to the departure lounge,
the airport authorities provide airlines with
extra equipment to make their own second
ary checks at the departure gates. Fotopoulos
says: "A great number of companies make
two checks of passengers and hand
luggage—one check at the entrance from the
police and another check by the companies
at the gates. The equipment belongs to the
civil aviation authority and, at the moment at
least, it is free of charge to the companies
that use it." Airlines are also free to carry out
additional security measures, such as
ensuring that passengers personally identify
pieces of checked baggage on the apron
before boarding the aircraft (a procedure
experienced first-hand by Flight when
boarding a JAT Boeing 737 bound for
Belgrade). Fotopoulos adds: "The passengers
go to the aircraft in buses, not by walking, so
there is no chance for anybody to give them
something on the way; or, at least, it's very
difficult".
The latest development is the addition of
a new x-ray machine through which any
baggage being transferred from one aircraft
to another is passed. All passengers meeting
connecting flights at Athens already pass
through a full screening procedure before
entering the transit area, and now all their
baggage is also screened. Other measures
include the use of trained "sniffer dogs" to
detect explosives, of which Moschoulis says:
"If we have any information about a threat,
we can detect explosives very quickly, so we
don't have to delay aircraft". He adds: "We
also have identity cards for all the people
working in the airport, and these are given by
the civil aviation security office with special
restrictions for the area where each person
may enter and move. The same thing
happens with all the cars. We also hold semi
nars and training programmes for the police
men and training programmes for the people
at the airport to teach them about security,
and we have also closed the observation deck
on top of the terminal to restrict the view of
the apron and the aircraft."
lata conducted a follow-up review in
December 1986 and pronounced itself satis
fied with the upgraded security procedures,
and since then it is believed that the airport
has remained incident-free. Iata's Rodney
Wallis says: "One is never fully happy with
any airport, whether it's Heathrow or
Gatwick or wherever it may be, but what we
are satisfied with is the clear commitment
which the Greek authorities are giving to
aviation security. Athens is such an
important airport that it is included in our
regular review of Middle Eastern airports
which we conduct every year, and we have to
make it clear that there is absolute co
operation between the Greek Civil Aviation
Authority and ourselves in this area." He
adds: "If there was to be an incident at
Athens, and there is always the possibility of
an incident anywhere, it would not be
through a lack of commitment or effort on
the part of the Greek authorities".
Nick Kavadas adds: "Terrorism is
becoming more and more sophisticated, so
we must become more sophisticated to beat
it. Now they work in organised teams, so you
don't have just one man with a gun, like in
the good old days. We must always be on our
guard." Q
Athens Airport. The perimeter fence has been rebuilt to Icao standards, with elevated guard posts overlooking the apron and manned 24hr a day
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Military hangars
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Military apron
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I East Terminal
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FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 21 May 1988 27